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9:45 Service Moves Back to the Sanctuary
Our 9:45 Service of Communion will meet in the Sanctuary again beginning this Sunday, August 21. If this is the service of worship for you, please make plans to join us in the Sanctuary. |
Help Needed for Louisiana and Mississippi
 The following flood relief items are needed!
- UMCOR Cleaning Buckets (Formerly called flood buckets) UMDisasterwarehouse.com
- Box fans (To help dry out homes)
- 25' Extension Cords (So people can move the fans around in a home)
- 2-gallon Garden sprayers (To kill mildew and mold)
- Flat billed shovels (To take out wet carpet, carpet pads, sheet rock, insulation, etc.)
- Garden rakes 3" tines (To gather limbs, leaves and trash that has floated into a home.)
- 2 wheeled wheel barrows (To carry wet items and trash to the road/street)
Volunteers are also needed at the UMCOR Disaster Warehouse in Decatur. Please call 256-341-9961 before your group comes. We are all volunteers. Checks should be mailed to the UM Disaster Warehouse, P.O. Box 1133, Decatur, AL 35602. |
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Time of Prayer for our City Elections
 On Tuesday, August 23, Vestavia Hills will go to the polls to vote on our City Leadership for the upcoming years. As people of God, we believe that all decisions should be covered in prayer. On Monday, August 22, our Chapel will be open for anyone and everyone to come and pray from 6:00-7:00 pm. This is not about campaigning, politicking, wearing our t-shirts, or handing out pamphlets. This is about prayer - that God will guide us as we vote, and that God will strengthen us as a community. Please come and join us in this time of prayer. We are also encouraging churches across our city to gather in prayer.
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 Join Us for Sunday Evening Worship
Come as you are and join us for a joyful time of casual worship in the Chapel at 5:00pm - we'll sing old, familiar hymns and enjoy warm fellowship together, as Butch Williams preaches "A Gift from Suzi," from Luke 13:10-17. Also, plan to join us on August 28 as Tyler Hopkins preaches.
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Wednesday Night Late Dinner Option
Can't get here at 5:00 for our Wednesday night dinners? No Problem! Let Margaret Flowers know you need a late pick-up when making your reservation and we'll have your meal boxed and ready for you to pick up when you arrive. You can eat in the Fellowship Hall or take it with you to a class. We will have "to-go" boxes for your kids if they want to go to children's or youth activities. You are an integral part of our community and we want you to join us on Wednesday nights! |
 Contemporary Sermon SeriesC.S. Lewis' story of four siblings who stumble into an alternate, magical world is an imaginative book for children on one level, and a metaphor for the Kingdom of God at another. Join our Contemporary Service in Tyson Hall August 14 - September 11 for "Narnia: A Lion, a Witch, and a Whole other Kingdom." We will journey to this mythical world of Narnia, and to the profound beauty of a loving God in a very broken world.
- 8/21 - A Lion - Understanding a God who is both terrifying and loving?
- 8/28 - A Whole Other Kingdom - What is the Kingdom of God and how do I get into it?
- 9/11 - A Hope - Resurrection gives hope to any situation.
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Praying for Our Students
Our Discovery weekend was a great experience for our youth. Now we have the opportunity to lift them in prayer as they move forward in their faith journeys. Join us in one of our great VHUMC traditions by taking home a picture (or two) of our students to lift them up in prayer over the year. We encourage you to take at least one that you do not know, because God has used that as a way to bring families together in our congregation. You are welcome to keep previous pictures and continue to add more or feel free to give the previous year pictures to those students informing them of your prayers for them. The pictures will be in the Narthex and Tyson Hall this Sunday. Please take time between services to stop by and prayerfully choose who the Lord would have you lift up in prayer. |
 Joining Service This Sunday
Come join the VHUMC community as we strive together to live out our Christ-centered lives of purpose. This service will be held on Sunday, August 21, at 12:15 pm - immediately after the 11:00 services end. Come to the beautiful Chapel for a quick service, followed by a time of pizza and fellowship in the fellowship hall.
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 Magic City Nutcracker Auditions
Our Magic City Nutcracker will be holding auditions this Saturday, August 20, in the Lighthouse. Ages 5 and up are welcome to audition. Please wear black leotard and pink tights with hair secured in a bun. Those students on pointe should bring their pointe shoes. The cost is $10. Please visit magicictynutcracker.org for more information. |
GIFT Sunday School Class
You are invited to join the GIFT (Growing In Faith Together) Sunday School class on August 28 when Pastor Bill Brunson will be our teacher. The GIFT class began this past November and is geared toward adults with children preschool age and older. Guests and visitors are always welcome, we meet in room 250 on the second floor of the Lighthouse. Please contact Dawn Fizer ([email protected]) or Margo Price ([email protected]) for more information. |
 Thank You Blood Drive Donors
Thank you to everyone who helped make our most recent blood drive a success! Because of your donations we were able to collect 35 pints of blood. Each pint of blood donated helps three people in need of blood or platelets. It is so wonderful to think that over 100 people will be impacted because of our blood drive. If you missed the opportunity to participate or would like to donate again, our next blood drive will take place on Sunday, November 6. Be sure to bring a friend to donate as well! |
 Exercise Classes for Those 50+
VHUMC Boomers & Beyond have two stretching classes that are geared to those over 50. Fuel 1 is led by Barbara Lee on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 8:15 am. This class uses chairs and no floor work. Fuel 2 is led by Jim Frazier on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 11:00 am. This class is for the more active and includes floor work. There is no charge for either class. For more information please contact Jim Frazier ([email protected] / 769-0126). |
New Worship Opportunities
VHUMC continues to seek new ways to help people worship God. Last year we began Sacred Connections which has become a powerful time of worship for those who are affected by memory loss. Sacred Connections is on the 4th Thursday of each month, in Tyson Hall, at 10:30 am. Beginning September 8, we will add three other worship opportunities that will also meet on Thursday's at 10:30 am with the following location and schedule:
- 1st Thursday - Harvest Prayer Service in the Chapel - A time to lift up the needs of our community and our world. The world is the Lord's Harvest. We are to "call upon the Lord of the Harvest to provide workers." Prayer is one work of the people and the heart of discipleship. We trust in His provision for the needs of our community, our state, our country, and our world.
- 2nd Thursday - Special Blessings Service in the Chapel - A time for families who deal with Special Needs. We hope that our Special Blessing Service will be a way to lift up and celebrate the unique gifts of those who have special needs. We know that different does not mean "less than," but instead offers us unique ways that we can be in relationship with God for His glory to shine.
- 3rd Thursday - Vineyard Prayer Service in the Chapel - A time to connect to the True Vine, as we center on the needs of our church family and our church ministries, so that we will bear much fruit for the Kingdom. This service gives us the opportunity to fulfill our vows to uphold our church family in prayer, remembering all who need our love, support and prayers. We will also spend each month focusing on a ministry area of our church, including the staff, the laity and the ways we serve and help others live a Christ-centered life of purpose.
- 4th Thursday - Sacred Connections Service in Tyson Hall - A time of worship for those who are affected by alzheimer's, dementia, and other memory care challenges, as well as those with mobility issues that prevent Sunday worship.This has become a very special time for those who have memory loss issues and their caregivers to worship God together with an emphasis on familiar music and scripture.
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 What's Going On Here It's a question we receive occasionally as we make changes to the Church property. We wanted to explain some of our property improvements and how they are funded.
- We recently renovated the offices of our Youth Ministry Staff. All of the costs were covered from Designated Funds in the Youth Ministry Supplemental Fund. No budget funds were used.
- We just completed new flooring on the Elementary Floor. Most all of the cost was covered by insurance since the floor problem was caused by a pipe break. We plan to re-floor the Preschool Floor in December with the same materials paid for by Designated Funds from Parent Partners (Whale of a Sale), and the Day School.
- Because of your giving in June (which got us back on our income budget), we have authorized the completion of our three-year roofing plan. This was in the 2016 budget, but we were holding off on it since our income was behind. As we complete the roofs over the Preschool, we will have new or re-sealed roofs over most of our buildings.
- The 2016 budget also included new cabinets along the Kitchen wall of the Fellowship Hall, but we are waiting to see if our income will support this cost before we authorize the work.
It is exciting to be able to improve and maintain this facility which is used so well by so many people for God's glory. |
Funeral Ushering Ministry
Caring for families who have lost a loved one is one of the best things we do at VHUMC. You could say we are in the business of funerals and memorial services. But you may not know about one team who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make it all seem so effortless - our Funeral Ushering Ministry.
It started many years ago. Harriette Woodring has always had a heart for helping grieving families and a talent for getting others to help. At first, she got ushers from our 8:30, 9:45 and 11:00 Sunday usher groups, but eventually she saw the need for a separate team. About ten years ago she called David Harwell to help. She started with, "David, since you don't have any plans, can you help us with this funeral?" He agreed to help. Then two days later, he got another call. Then another and another until ten years later, we have developed a strong vibrant group of funeral ushers. They still refer to Harriette as "The Founding Matriarch of the Funeral Ushering Ministry."
There are a lot of people that come to our funerals and memorial services that have never been to this church, don't know where anything is, and need help to get around. They need to know where the water fountains and bathrooms are located. They may even need a walker or a wheelchair. It is the little extras that our funeral ushers provide that help people during their visit to VHUMC. And, they leave a lasting positive impression. They remember that smile, the kind words or the extra hands that got them through a day that is often filled with grief. "Our primary focus is to assist the family and their needs. We coordinate our efforts with the ministry staff," Harwell stated.
Currently, David leads a team of over 30 men and women who rotate between the different funerals and memorial services. If you are interested in learning more about this ministry or would like to volunteer, please contact David Harwell ([email protected]).
This continues our "How did your ministry get started?" series. There are so many wonderful ministries at VHUMC, and we would love for everyone to know about them, how they began, and how to get involved. Please share your ministry beginning stories with us. |
 VHUMC Adult Softball League
Are you interested in playing adult softball this fall? Put together a VHUMC team through our Health, Wellness, and Recreation ministry. Men's and CO-ED Leagues are available. Registration is $400/team which includes league fees and team jerseys. The ten-week season starts the week of August 29 and includes eight games plus tournament games. VHUMC members and non-members are welcome to join. Get a team together and sign up by August 18. Contact Seth Autry ([email protected]) for more details. |
 Little Lambs Bible Class Registration
Little Lambs Bible class is for children that are three years old (by Sept. 1) through age 5K. Our 2016-17 classes begin August 31 and meet every Wednesday evening from 6:00-7:00 pm. To register your child please email Anne Strozier ([email protected]). |
3rd Grade Bible Sunday
It is the tradition at Vestavia Hills United Methodist to give a Bible to all our third graders each year. This year Bibles will be presented to the children on August 28 at the 11:00 Traditional worship service. We hope you will make plans to attend. We are excited to celebrate this important occasion as a church family! |
 Every Girl Fitness
Join the women of VHUMC and Vestavia Hills for fitness, fun, and fellowship! Our Health, Wellness, and Recreation ministry is excited to bring Every Girl Fitness to VHUMC. Every Girl Fitness is a mobile group exercise program for women of varying exercise levels and abilities. Women ages 13 and older are welcome to join the weekly workouts. Classes will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays beginning August 29. Class times are 9:15-10:15 am and 6:00-7:00 pm. Classes will be held in room 245 in the Lighthouse. The cost is $60 for two classes/week during the 4-week session. Free "preview" classes will be held on 8/22 at 6:00 pm and 8/24 at 9:15 am. Childcare is available upon request. Register by using the link below and be sure to select the VHUMC class offerings. For questions, childcare reservations, or additional details, contact Megan Drumm ([email protected]). We look forward to seeing you there!
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Group Personal Training Sessions with Ali
 Have you ever wanted a personal trainer but couldn't afford one? Now you can have the benefits of a trainer, pay less per session, and be motivated by your group to train hard! Ali Sanders, who has a degree in Exercise Science from Auburn University and is an ACE certified Personal Trainer with over 15 years of experience, is offering group personal training sessions in the Lighthouse gym. Six 45-minute sessions will be offered each week beginning Monday, August 22. Sessions are offered on the following days and times: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5:15 am and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 1:00 pm. Sign up for 2 sessions/week for $110 or 3 sessions/week for $150. Each session runs for four weeks. Ali will offer one free preview class to each interested participant on 8/22, 8/23, and 8/24. Space is limited to 10 people/session. Contact Megan Drumm ([email protected]) to sign up. |
 3rd Grade Bible Sunday
It is the tradition at Vestavia Hills United Methodist to give a Bible to all our third graders each year. This year Bibles will be presented to the children on August 28 at the 11:00 Traditional worship service. We hope you will make plans to attend. We are excited to celebrate this important occasion as a church family! |
A New Elementary Bible Study Experience
 Wednesdays this school year will include a supercharged night of fun for Elementary Bible studies beginning August 31, in Tyson Hall, from 6-7 pm. Our Elementary Bible Study will take on a new look when we start a new year as Bible Pathfinders. Our path will take us into great music, Bible memory work, large group time, small group time, and much more! Our focus for the first semester is "How to be a Superhero!" Each week, you will meet a new superhero to help you grow closer to the purpose-driven life to which God is calling us.
Want to be a part of this exciting ministry? Questions? Email Ruth Grissom ([email protected]) or Jamie Meeks ([email protected]). We look forward to getting started on our path to God's Word in our life!
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 Mother Daughter Event
Kick off the new school year with moms and daughters throughout Birmingham! Guest speaker, Kari Kampakis and 1GN (a Christian girls "pop" band) will be performing on August 20, at 7:00 pm, at the Lyric Theater. There are a limited amount of VIP tickets (which include reserved front section seating in the VHUMC section and a meet and greet with the band) for $45 that you can purchase by contacting Emily Boles ([email protected] / 769-0130) or you can purchase them online at www.LyricBham.com. Keep in mind that these are assigned seats so if you are going with a group you will want to purchase them all together. |
Come to Lunch and Help Camp Sumatanga
 Since 1950 Camp Sumatanga has been a special place of lasting memories and spiritual growth for Alabama United Methodists. On Sunday, August 28, the Vestavia United Appeal Fund will hold a special luncheon at 12:00 noon, in our Fellowship Hall, to benefit the Camp. Donations received at the luncheon will be divided between Camp Sumatanga (90%) and our Church (10%). You will get a chance to hear from Daphne Orr and Dennis Flowers about recent camp experiences and goals for the future. The Vestavia United Appeal Fund is a fund-raising organization benefitting Camp Sumatanga and VHUMC and providing the added benefit of exemption from Alabama sales, use, and utility taxes. Please contact Margaret Flowers to make reservations for your family ([email protected] / 769-0112). Tickets are $9 per adult and $7 per child with a family maximum of $39. |
 VHUMC Farmer's Market
The VHUMC Farmer's Market is open every Wednesday through September 14, from 7:00 to 11:00 am, in the large parking lot. Mark your calendars and come purchase the seasonal vegetables, fruits, breads, baked goods, cheeses, and meats from local producers.
Our team is also looking for volunteers to help make this ministry possible. If you would like to help in any way, please contact John Sechrist ( [email protected]).
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Outreach Corner
 Bingo Night Coming to VHUMC
We are still collecting fun Bingo trinket prizes to help restock the Children's Harbor bingo prize closet. Please remember to bring your prizes for all ages and drop in any of the wagons around the church. We will be accepting prizes through our Family Bingo Night on Wednesday, August 24, at 6:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall right after Wednesday night dinner. Make your reservations now for a fun evening for the entire family. Reservations can be made by contacting Rachael Hayes ( [email protected] / 769-0143).
Tutoring at Urban Ministry This Fall
If you are interested in tutoring a second grader at Urban Ministry once a week, we would love to have you join the VHUMC tutoring team. Tutors come on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons for a one-hour session from 3:30-4:30 pm. If we have enough tutors for Thursday, we would like to have a session then as well. Each tutor will work with the same student each week when possible and materials are provided. Tutors generally carpool, meeting at VHUMC or Shades Mountain Baptist Church. The time commitment is approximately two hours including travel time and tutoring time. If you have to miss the occasional session for travel or family commitments, we can work around that. The first week of tutoring will be the week of September 12. If you are interested, please contact Joan Rein ( [email protected]) or Sally Penfield ( [email protected]).
Volunteers Needed for Family Promise
We are in need of substitute volunteers to fill in when emergencies happen with our Family Promise volunteers. Would you be willing to be "on call" or be a "sub" for the 3-4 weeks we host Family Promise throughout the year? Sometimes things come up with our regular volunteers and we need an extra person to help fill in. Please let us know if this is something you would be willing to do. This ministry has a long history with VHUMC and we would like it to continue, but we can't do that without volunteers. If you are interested to be added to the list, please contact Lisa Holloway ( [email protected]).
Hope Inspired Ministries Coming to Birmingham
Come learn about a transformational approach to creating self-sufficiency among those trapped in poverty as HIM shares its vision on Monday, August 22, from 6-7 pm at The Birmingham Dream Center (5705 First Avenue North). HIM serves low-skilled, poorly educated, and chronically unemployed men and women by preparing them to obtain and maintain employment. They introduce a way of life that fosters the development of the emotional, physical, and spiritual maturity in each person. For more information, please contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ( [email protected]).
Food Pantry
Food Pantry needs pancake mix, syrup and jelly. We are still purchasing from our farmers' market each week and getting donated items from Sprouts, Panera Bread and Publix. We have now purchased 200,000 pounds of food from the Community Food Bank so all monetary donations are really appreciated. Thank you for your continued support!
Oak Mountain Mission
Oak Mountain Mission needs kitchen tables and chairs, and useable sofas and chairs. For furniture pick-up please call 685-5757. They also need like-new hand towels that can be put into the church bins. The mission serves families who have had floods, fires, or lost homes due to domestic violence or other reasons. All items are given to the families to help them start over. Thank you.
Events by our Missions Partners
Lifeline Children's Services Run for One
Lifeline Children's Services will host their annual Run for One this Saturday, August 20, at Veteran's Park, starting at 7:00 am. 100% of the proceeds go to help children in orphanages where Lifeline is working. Sign up online or register the day of the race. You can donate to the race or just come out and support the cause. The cost for the 5K is $30 by August 19 and $35 on race day. There is also a children's one mile fun run that day with a cost of $15 by August 19 and $20 on race day.
Oak Mountain Mission
Oak Mountain Mission will have its annual fundraiser luncheon on Tuesday, September 13, at The Club. Please mark your calendars if you are interested in attending. We are collecting items for the Silent Auction, which may be put in the collection bins. Contact Barbara Porter (444-9793) for questions or reservations. Thank you!
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